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Atlanta Hawks Draft Preview: Johnny Juzang

Juzang started at Kentucky but thrived after transferring to UCLA.

Olivier Dumont

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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The 2022 NBA Draft is two weeks from tomorrow. Today, we continue our series of scouting reports with possible second round selections. Let's learn more about former UCLA Bruin Johnny Juzang.

Vitals

Johnny Juzang talks to the media during the 2022 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena.
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Juzang

Position: Small Forward

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 215

Age: 21

Class: Junior

School: UCLA

Why Juzang

UCLA Bruins guard Johnny Juzang (3) prepares to shoot at the free throw line against the Colorado Buffaloes in the second half at the CU Events Center.
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

What’s fascinating about UCLA small forward Johnny Juzang is that he’s a shooting guard in the body of a forward. Despite his size, Juzang’s balance, pace, fluidity, and clean handles make him one dangerous threat to contend with. And as a result of this combination, Juzang has the option of either beating bigger defenders with his quickness or using his strength to overpower smaller guards in the post or shoot over them.

Having a player like that coming off the bench or potentially even starting for the Atlanta Hawks would be a game-changer and would grant them the opportunity to play big, should they play Juzang at the two. Though Juzang isn’t the two-way threat the Hawks could use, particularly on the defensive front, Juzang’s offensive talent is too good to be looked over. And should the Hawks not have Josh Minott and Alondes Williams on the board, they might want to consider disregarding Collin Gillespie and Trevion Williams (if available) to pursue Juzang.

Offense

UCLA Bruins guard Johnny Juzang (3) shoots during the first half against the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

After initially starting his collegiate career at Kentucky under Head Coach John Calipari, Juzang had a challenging time garnering the playing time he needed to make much of a difference. At the time, Kentucky had NBA guards Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley manning the load at the guard positions. And after averaging 12.3 minutes in 28 games played, Juzang opted to head back home to California and play for UCLA.

Though it would take Juzang a couple of months to settle into his new starting role, the continuous growth and production he put forth in his sophomore season led him to have one wildly impressive breakout performance. In 26 games started, Juzang scored 16.0 points per game on 44.1% shooting from the field, averaged 4.1 rebounds, and tallied 1.6 assists as well.

That season, Juzang would post a career-high 32 points on 52.2% shooting from the field, to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, and a block in a big three-point win over Washington. Juzang would go on to have a total of seven 25+ point games on the season, one of which came in the Elite Eight against Michigan (28 points) and the other in the Final Four against Gonzaga (29 points). As a result of such a breakout year, on top of the fact that he played a crucial role in UCLA’s Final Four run, Juzang would receive All-Pac-12 Second Team honors to cap off a remarkable season.

In his junior year, Juzang had to overcome the obstacle of proving that his sophomore season wasn’t a one-hit-wonder of a year, and he really rose to the occasion once again. Starting in 29 games, Juzang dropped an average of 15.6 points, gathered 4.7 rebounds, and tallied 1.8 assists, each of the latter two stats being career highs. Though Juzang shot 43.2% from the field, he put up a solid 36% shooting efficiency from behind the arc, yet another career-high. Although UCLA would come up short to UNC in the Sweet 16 this year in the NCAA Tournament, Juzang still produced undeniably well, scoring a season-high 28 points in a big win against Utah earlier in January.

Juzang would go on to be named First Team All-Pac-12 and Third Team All-American. From his ability to score so well off the dribble, off catch-and-shoot looks, in the mid-range, and all along the perimeter, Juzang just has this natural feel for where his spots are and lives for big, clutch moments where he can execute a dagger-of-a-shot, making him a bright talent who looks NBA-ready.

Defense

UCLA Bruins guard Johnny Juzang (3) guards Stanford Cardinal guard Sam Beskind (24) during the first half at Maples Pavilion.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Defensively, Juzang is a bit of a gamble to roll with but does possess potential on a few fronts. His big 6’10” wingspan helps him a lot when squaring up against his opponents and forcing them to create the space they need to make a shot. But his poor lateral quickness tends to lend him a significant disadvantage against guards, and even up against forwards, Juzang can sometimes be overpowered due to his lack of strength and physicality.

Although his defensive play didn’t reflect much on the stat sheet (he averaged 0.2 blocks and 0.6 steals per game over his college career), Juzang does have great athleticism and grit as a defender, possessing an unrelenting motor to stay in front of his opponents at all times. He does have work to do when he sets foot in the NBA, but he does bring plenty of promise to be a solid two-way player someday.

Upside

UCLA Bruins guard Johnny Juzang (3) reacts in the semifinals of the East regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

What’s very exciting about Juzang is his growth and his ability to maintain such a high level of play over his last two seasons. At 21 years old, Juzang has already displayed a level of range and versatility on the offensive front that makes him a strong fit for many NBA systems and comes with a solid base of size, quickness, and athleticism that can allow him to play at three different positions (SG, SF, PF).

Though Juzang didn’t really see much playing time at Kentucky, he’s accumulated a fair amount of invaluable experience. He has the potential to be an elite scorer if granted the right amount of playing time. In college, Juzang illustrated that his output is dependent on big minutes. But his ability to heat up quickly can allow him to thrive with far less.

Downside

UCLA Bruins guard Johnny Juzang (3) is charged with an offensive foul in the first half of the game against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Aside from his shaky defense, Juzang has two key downsides he’ll need to improve once he enters the NBA. The first and most important is his inconsistent efficiency levels when shooting from the field. Juzang never posted anything higher than 44.1%. Because he also doesn’t pass the ball a lot, Juzang will sometimes find himself attempting to shoot his way out of cold streaks, which usually doesn’t pan out as effectively as he would like.

Secondly, Juzang is not a great playmaker, both as a rebounder and passer. Because he gets a little caught up with his isolation approach, Juzang can lose sight of the other important aspects of the game that he’s very much capable of fulfilling. As a result, he sometimes doesn’t space the floor that well, and, considering his height and size, hasn’t lived up to his rebounding ability yet.

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Published
Olivier Dumont
OLIVIER DUMONT

Olivier Dumont is a graduate of SUNY Rockland Community College, where he was the Sports Editor of the Outlook. After obtaining his Associate of Liberal Arts degree, he transferred to both Hunter and Baruch Colleges as part of the CUNY Baccalaureate Program for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. He graduated with a BA degree with a concentration in Sports Journalism.

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